


Marvel

by sunnysideup



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Dog Owner Zayn, Fluff, M/M, They're a pair of idiots really, Vet Liam, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-24 19:42:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7520668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnysideup/pseuds/sunnysideup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam saves Zayn's dog.  Zayn steals Liam's heart.  </p><p>A little prompt fill.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Marvel

**Author's Note:**

> Awful title sorry - but I can never think of one.
> 
> This was a prompt fill with the sentence:  
> “I’ve never felt this way before….and it scares the shit out of me.”

It happens when he least expects it.   He’s having the shittest day of his life as a vet, and Liam hadn’t spent years of his life with a pretend stethoscope walking from toy dog to toy dog and those little battery operated yappy dogs that did somersaults and barked every couple of seconds, for all this to happen.

Its even worse when they bring along their children, their children who’s first experiences of death likely come from what Liam’s had to tell their parents, but as often’s the case with this type of thing, its the child that comforts the parent and gently whispers soothing words into the dogs ears as their eyes shut for the last time.

When _he_ walks in that first time, or walks is the wrong word, when he practically runs in and places the dog onto the examination table, and then wipes at his eyes, its a cliche but Liam almost has to remember to breathe.

But he does, and despite the owner’s worries, the owner who Liam only realises is called Zayn Malik after he’s printed off the bill and after Zayn breathes out a relieved ‘I could hug you right now’  and Liam thinks ‘Well go on then, what’s stopping you?’,

The dog’s going to be fine.   Liam wonders if he can say the same for himself. 

**

Its silly really, that after that day he thinks about Zayn Malik pretty much all the time, he only met him for 10 minutes, they barely even exchanged any words other than establishing that the dog just needed whatever it was stuck in its throat (a cube) removing with some ruddy great tweezers, and then he was gone.  

It doesn’t explain why he’s been thinking about him ever since.  It doesn’t explain why on another Tuesday 2 weeks later , as he scrolls through the list of patients for the afternoon why his spirits lift the moment he sees his name and the name of his dog right next to him.

It also doesn’t explain, except it does why he (not so) absent-mindedly fiddles with his hair throughout the afternoon, and why as the time gets nearer to the appointment, the butterflies in his belly increase.

Of course he doesn’t show, because Liam’s life is never that straightforward, his life, or moreover his love life and that’s a joke phrase in itself, has always been one of near misses or false starts, why should this be any different.

And so he carries on with the list, and he gets to save a dog or two, and no dogs try and bite him, and no hamsters pee on him and that’s as good as his life gets.

it’s gone 7 by the time he’s thinking about going home, to the inevitable interrogation from Andy and Niall and anything to avoid that really so he may not bother going home, he could kip here even, he sent the girls on reception home a couple of minutes ago and he’s about to turn off the PC and wipe down the examination table, when he hears someone clearing their throat behind him. 

‘Sorry I’m so late, couldn’t get off shift early, I can come back tomor-’

‘No’  he finds himself saying , interrupting Zayn before he can finish, as he turns round and its him, Zayn and he’s red in the face and looking as though as he’s just run a marathon and he’s drenched from the heavy rain outside, drops of rain falling from his eyelashes and his dog, Marvel, is drenched too but wagging his tail excitedly.

Zayn looks bedraggled, sure, but he also looks exactly how Liam remembered him, if not better and just like that the disappointment that sat heavy in his gut is gone, and instead the butterflies are back, but also he feels the smile stay plastered on his face. 

He forces himself to do what he’s paid for, what he set up this practice for, and that wasn’t to pick up the fittest bloke in the land, and he kneels down to greet Marvel who launches himself at Liam soaking his trousers with the rain covering him. 

‘Fully recovered then?’ he laughs looking up briefly at Zayn as he strokes one of Marvel’s ears. 

‘He is’  Zayn’s opposite him then, crouching down, and he’s stroking Marvel’s other ear and any minute now Marvel looks like he’ll roll onto his back in ecstasy.

Liam knows the feeling and he’s the lamest idiot going actually.  They exchange a look, and Zayn’s sort of smiling at him and Liam feels no compulsion to move, he could stay here like this, turn to stone, just be found like this and that’d be alright.

But he’s a professional, so he shakes himself, clears his throat and then stands up. 

‘So erm, what’s Marvel here for?’ 

‘Annual vaccination’  Zayn replies. 

Liam nods, turning round to the computer.  ‘is he still about the same weight as last year?’ 

‘Yeah roughly, though me and my flatmate Louis, well mainly Louis overfeed him on Dominos Pizza’ 

Liam tries and fails to look stern.  ‘Not exactly standard dog diet that Mr Malik, but okay well maybe put him on the scales to make sure he’s not added loads of extra pounds then’ 

Zayn nods, and then says ‘Marvel, get on’ and the dog leaps onto the scales obediently, still wagging his tail as Zayn murmurs ‘good boy’ 

Liam glances across at the scales.  ‘Right, he’s gone up 4 pounds since last year which is-’

‘Terrible’  Zayn interrupts him.  ‘Shit that’s awful’ 

Liam wants to cut in, wants to tell him that actually no its not that bad ‘cause he’s getting older and dogs often put on weight as they get older and get slower.

‘I should put him on a diet shouldn’t I, and um, well you should maybe monitor us- him and I should come back once or twice maybe, you know’  Zayn’s scratching at his neck as he says it, but he’s got this serious sincere look on his face.

Maybe Liam’s misreading this, maybe Zayn IS worried and yeah 4 pounds isn’t to be sneezed at so he finds himself nodding along.

‘Well actually yeah, you can’t be too careful, obesity in dogs is a serious issue and well I can recommend all kinds of food other than pizza for Marvel, and well you can just see how you get on’   He doesn’t mention anything about coming back, doesn’t want to push it in case he’s got completely the wrong end of the stick.

‘And you’ll see us again to see how we’re getting on’  Liam looks at Zayn then, and he’s edged a bit closer so he’s stood to the right of Marvel and he’s next to the examination table now.

‘Well, me or one of the nurses might be better, and cheaper’ 

Zayn’s shoulders drop then.  ‘If you say so’  he mumbles and then he gestures towards Marvel.

‘Best do his vaccination then eh?’  and before Liam can answer he’s lifting Marvel up and placing him on the table and then standing back from it, chewing at his nails and barely meeting Liam’s eyes.

Liam’s an idiot and he’s worst in the world at reading these situation ‘cause he’s a coward mostly, that’s always been his problem, never takes a chance or at least hasn’t since the one time he did and look how that blew up in his face.

He takes a step forward away from the computer and places his hand on Marvel,  examining him and he tries to make eye contact with Zayn who ignores him, still chewing at his nails so he starts to talk to Marvel instead, inspecting his teeth then holding the torch into his eyes. 

‘You’re a good boy Marvel, you’re smarter than most humans I reckon, all dogs are and at least dogs have mastered never being subtle and still people love them whereas humans?  Well, one human can be as subtle as a brick and the other human will be that dopey, that stupid and well….that scared that they ignore all the signs and just bumble on as normal and in a few years time they regret it’ 

He puts the torch down then and moves his hands up and down his stomach and then towards Marvel’s tail and his back legs, and starts to examine there, not looking up at Zayn though he feels his eyes on him.

‘And well, thing is if said human was brave enough, he’d tell him instead of his dog that I’ve never felt this way before and it scares the shit out of me, and yet here I am and well…’ he places his hands on Marvel’s legs and he’s just about to do a rectal examination when a hand stops him.

‘Not being funny mate, but can you repeat what you just said but maybe not do it at the same time as you’re about to do that’.

Liam looks down at the hand and then up at Zayn who’s grinning and he sighs, here goes nothing.

‘I like you Zayn, even though we’ve spent the grand total of 30 minutes in each others company I haven’t stopped thinking about you since’

Zayn nods then bites at his lip.  ‘What if I told you that I’m scared too, and what if I also told you that it was me that’s overfed Marvel for the last 2 weeks in the hope of getting him more chubby so you’d be all cross and then demand I bring him back to doggy fat club’ 

Liam laughs.  ‘Well what I’d say is that, I can’t believe that I’ve met someone as shit at doing this as me, and well maybe Marvel _does_ need to come back and see me, along with you Mr Malik, maybe even tomorrow, oh and maybe stop feeding him piz-?’ 

‘But just here?’ comes the response.  ‘You mean, see you just here?’

‘No - i mean, well no, but only if you’re sure’

‘We really are both shit at this babe, i’m sure Liam, now carry on doing the what you need to do and then maybe we can have a sit down and talk about why you’ve got a whole load of Marvel action figures above the cabinet behind you where the medicine is’  

Liam blushes and opens his mouth.  

‘Oh and call me Zayn’.

Liam grins. 


End file.
